1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a stereoscopic image processing apparatus, a stereoscopic image processing method, and a stereoscopic image processing program which improve a visual quality of stereoscopic view images.
2. Related Art
A stereoscopic imaging apparatus configured to capture stereoscopic view images which are to be displayed on a display device (hereinafter, referred to as “stereoscopic display device”) which projects stereoscopic view images including a left eye image and a right eye image on a left eye and a right eye of a viewer independently of each other has been known. The stereoscopic imaging apparatus captures the left eye image and the right eye image both of which reflect binocular disparity.
It has been known that since stereoscopic view images with excessive parallax both between distant view images (images of a subject in the distant view) and between close view images (images of a subject in the close view) exceed a fusion limit of a viewer in viewing the stereoscopic view images by using stereovision, the viewer cannot perceive the stereoscopic view images as a stereoscopic image or feels fatigue in viewing the stereoscopic view images even though he/she can perceive the images as a stereoscopic image.
The above described problem does not cause a big trouble in the case where the stereoscopic view images are displayed on a small-sized display device, but causes a serious trouble in such cases where the stereoscopic view images are displayed on a big display device and where a stereoscopic movie is screened.
In order to prevent generation of such stereoscopic view images of excessive parallax, a technique of reducing the parallax of the stereoscopic view images to be taken by performing processes including parallax adjustment and stereo base adjustment on stereoscopic view images to be recorded has been adopted (see JP H08-009421 A).
The parallax adjustment is a process used in the case where mainly the parallax of a distant view exceeds the fusion limit. In the parallax adjustment, as a result of nonlinear compression of a distance from the imaging apparatus to the distant view for the purpose of adjusting the parallax to be smaller, the distant view is virtually brought closer to the imaging apparatus. Consequently, the distant view that has been too far for human stereoscopic vision to work is brought closer so that the viewer can easily perceive the stereoscopic view images as a stereoscopic image.
The stereo base adjustment is a process of making a distance between the two imaging apparatuses (the imaging apparatus for taking left eye images and the imaging apparatus for taking right eye images) closer, i.e., setting the stereo base (base length) smaller. By performing the stereo base adjustment, a dynamic range of the parallax can be compressed. Therefore, by using the stereo base adjustment, stereoscopic view images which are from the close view to the distant view wholly contained within the fusion limit and allow the viewer to easily perceive them as a stereoscopic image can be acquired.